out?"
asked the captain. "What water did you have when you sang out 'a
quarter six' and 'a quarter less six'?"

"N-n-one, capt'n. There warn't any bottom. I jess wanted to get you to
drop the other anchor and hold her off the reef."

"Got him tight, cappen?" asked the mate. "Shall I help you hold 'im?"

"I've got my sight back. I've got Tom Plate under my gun. How long have
you been flying signals of distress, Tom Plate?"

"Ever since I could see, capt'n," answered the trembling sailor.

"How long is that?"

"Second day out, sir."

"What's your idea in keeping still about it? What could you gain by
being taken aboard a man-of-war?"

"I didn't want to have all the work piled on me jess 'cause I could
see, capt'n. I never thought anybody could ever see again. I slept
partly under No. 2 gun that night, and didn't get it so bad."

"You sneaked into my room, got my keys, and raided the treasure-chests.
You know what the rules say about that? Death without trial."

"No, I didn't, capt'n; I didn't."

"Search him, Mr. Todd."

The search brought to light a tobacco-pouch in which were about fifty
unset diamonds and a few well-jeweled solid-gold ornaments, which the
captain pocketed.

"Not much of a haul, considering what you left behind," he said calmly.
"I suppose you only took what you could safely hide and swim with."

"I only took my share, sir; I did no harm; I didn't want to be driftin'
round wi' blind men. How'd I know anybody could ever see any more?"

"Sad mistake, Tom. All we wanted, it seems, was a good scalding with
hot coffee." He mused a few moments, then continued: "There must be
some medical virtue in hot coffee which the doctors haven't learned,
and--well--Tom, you've earned your finish."

"You won't do it, capt'n; you can't do it. The men won't have it;
they're with me," stuttered the man.

"Possibly they are. I heard you all growling down the hatch yesterday
morning. You're a pack of small-minded curs. I'll get another crew. Mr.
Todd," he said to the listening mate, "steward told me he was out of
coffee, so we'll break a bag out o' the lazarette. It's a heavy
lift--two hundred pounds and over--'bout the weight of a man; so we'll
hoist it up. Let Tom, here, rig a whip to the spanker-gaff. He can
see."

"Aye, aye, sir," answered the mate. "Get a single block and a strap and
a gant-line out o' the bo's'n's locker, Tom."

"Is it all right, capt'n?" asked Tom, lowering his hands with a deep